Thanks for the great review. Great job on it as always. I bought the Kia Niro Plug In in February 2018. Here is what I like about it. There are many wonderful features like the small lights in the side mirrors that tell you that another car is there and not to change lanes. When reversing it tells you that a car is crossing behind you or even a person. Nice. No backing into traffic or the person that won't stop even though you are backing out. The same going forwards - alarm if car in front slams on their brakes. The visibility in this car is awesome. No blind spots especially with the assistance of the car. Also, I have a hearing disability so the sound system is great for me using the phone - I can hear and turn it up as loud as I need it. The maps are great and driving directions are awesome. Shows you which lane to get in when you have five or 6 lanes and don't know which one you should be in. I am 5' 2" tall and the visor comes down to the perfect height so no glaring sun in my face. Usually they are at a height for a taller person which doesn't work for me when driving towards the sun. Sound system is very nice. It is very comfortable to sit in and drive. I had a Porsche Cayman before and it is nice to be able to step right into the seat. Also, the trunk area at the back has a sliding cover that is easy to use and the height of the trunk is perfect. No more bending down. There are so many great things about this car. I really love it. I initially liked it because of the eco friendly features. I only fill it up every 10 to 12 days or so. It would be even less if I charged it every day. It does get about 105 miles if you charge it and drive with electric and hybrid mode. If you don't charge I get about 44-48 miles per gallon. You can't really see from the video but the interior styling is quite nice with the black and light grey trim and this means it has a little bit of a luxury feel. I think it gives the car more style. I also like it a lot better than the newer Prius as I could not deal with the interior styling which seems so harsh.
I own a Kia Niro PHEV. LX trim. So manual seats and no leather, but I was able to get a great driving position and the seats arre comfortable. We have a solar electric system at home, so I purchased a level II charger from Amazon for less than $300 and had a 220 volt socket installed near the vehicle. It charges an empty battery in 2.5 hours. Using our solar power on a sunny day and I''m driving 26 miles for FREE! (well, relatively, anyway.) Saving about $3,500 over the EX trim still gives me Google navigation on the center screen using my Android phone and Android Auto. So navigation for FREE, and it is a better display than the one you show in your review. My overall mpg in hybrid only mode has been tested several times on cloudy days, and I'm getting 45 - 50 mpg. Coupled with the EV mode on trips longer than 26 miles, and I'm getting up to 90 mpg! Of course, that's averaging the electric into the equation. An additional undocumented feature is put the gear lever into Sport mode when the battery is down to zero miles, and in about half an hour of driving, you'll recharge it. So for long trips, recharge the battery, and continue in hybrid mode until an urban area, and switch into EV mode for local driving. Fun car to drive; a lot more comfortable than the Prius's I've rented on trips. No regrets in my purchase.
I like Android Auto a lot too & use the WAZE but where you fail to realize is if your phone goes out in a area & it will at times. NO NAV and your screwed. The nav that comes with car will not be a ISSUE! Best to have BOTH!!
I bought a Niro PHEV Premium on 2/28/18. We live in Cincinnati but bought it in Indy because the only dealer that had one here offered little in discounting. We ended up getting about $3k off and with the $4500 tax rebate it became a pretty good deal. We got 500 miles and 49 mpg on the first tank with 350 miles being highway. We have driven 270 miles on the 2nd tank and the gas gauge says we still have 451 miles to empty. Our normal driving allows us to go nearly exclusively on electric mode. It is very comfortable, in my opinion looks good and if it snows will stay in the garage so I don't care about all wheel drive. The joys of retirement. So far we couldn't be happier.
Scotty H, I looked at the latest electric bill and it had about 2 weeks for the Niro PHEV and it was no different than past electric bills, and I went back years...some higher some lower but it didn't jump out at me. We pay 6 cents/KWH and the government figures are based on 12 cents. So, we are still on the 2nd tank with 170 miles to empty on the gas gauge after 2 weeks and going 850 miles. I made a 250 mile trip which pulled down the tank. Most of the driving has been around the area and under 26 miles. There are times when we don't have time to get it back to a full charge between trips but I don't think for us we can justify putting in a level 2 charger at home. I believe we will consistently go over 1,000 miles and use around 9 gallons of gas when we fill up. Hope that helps.
Crack Lacker, sorry to be slow in responding but I lost the link and because of your inquiry I took a closer look at the paper work and found a line item for $621 for "Government Certificate of Title Fees" which made no sense to me because that was in addition to the title fee, and sales tax which was under charged by $410 and the ever popular $199 Document Fee. The dealership is still working on getting me the title so I can get plates and also in explaining the $621. So, here are the key numbers before taxes: Sticker: $35,625 which includes shipping; price for vehicle pre-sales tax and other BS was $32,400 which includes $400 military discount. When you factor in the roughly $4,500 EV tax rebate, it makes it a better deal than the straight Hybrid. Note, as far as the paper work mess, they used this fancy electronic desk and we were in a hurry so it was hard to fully understand everything. BUT, we love the car and we'll get it worked out.
September 28, 2018 and I'm the first buyer of the Niro PHEV at Koons Kia of Woodbridge, Va, which surprised me a great deal!! First drive home to Richmond averaged over 48 mpg with zero all electric miles (wasn't charged up prior to purchase) and traveling at speeds from 65 to 75 mph the entire trip of 95 miles. Using the "smart cruise" which is another term for adaptive cruise control, which worked really, really well (much better than in our '18 Honda Accord 2.0 Touring, btw) it was a really pleasant journey, with the excellent premium sound system by Harmon Kardon (315 watts) with a sub in the rear of the cabin. Trading in our 2012 CRV which was a decent all around car for 76,000 mis itself, the difference in the feel of this Niro from the CRV was very very stark. The Niro is MUCH more fun to drive, is more "planted", handles way better, responds to steering input much more swiftly, and is generally better in every measureable metric except interior volume of usable space. But it's not really that much smaller when it comes to usable interior space which speaks to the awesome job Kia has done with the execution of the engineering and design of this car. Yes, it's not exceptionally speedy in acceleration, but then again how can you expect a PHEV to be both very frugal AND very fast in the acceleration department. The balance of spirited performance and practicality in the economy aspect of the NIRO combines to make this vehicle a really satisfying experience, and I've NO regrets whatsoever in my decision to put one in our garage. Using the 120 volt charger that comes w/the Niro works out well, since the 6 to 8 hours for fully charging up the battery is easily accomplished overnight and is simply not inconvenient when doing so. Each day starts with exceptionally quiet and smooth driving pleasure, and if you're not a speed demon the EV mode will not transition to HEV mode for the full 25 or so miles you can expect from the charge. The media sound quality in the premium stereo is very very good overall, adding to the pleasureable experience. Looking forward to a long and happy relationship with the Niro PHEV!! Hopefully, the reliability of the mechanics and electronics will be equally satisfying in the long term. BTW, there's a UA-cam channel by B'jorn Nyland of Norway where he does extensive testing of the limits of the all-electric Niro available in Europe, and easily surpasses the 300 mile marker driving in a normal way, and honestly, if that version of the Niro were available at the time of my purchase in Virginia, it would be in my driveway right now in place of the PHEV!!! Alas, Kia is not selling that version yet in the U.S........hopefully that will change down the road.
I've owned a 2017 Niro LX for exactly one year now. I bought my Niro purely for the MPG. I average approx 43-44mpg in the winter and approx 46-47mpg last summer. It has nearly 22,000 highway commuting miles. Love this car. No problems at all so far.
We have a 19 niro hev touring and we love this car. I don't find it noisy or thrashy, I like the way it sounds . It's very comfortable and gets excellent gas mileage especially when its above freezing out. It has a very nice ride and handles very well. We've had it for 18 months now and like it as much now as in June 19.
We bought an EX Non-plugin regular hybrid with the tech+safety package. Kia is offering some big discounts on leftover 2017 model like ours. It is smooth, quiet and the sport mode has surprisingly good pep due to that 195Lb/Ft of torque, Feature laden, spacious and the best part is that it doesn't scream that it is a hybrid with weird quirky styling- Looking at you, Prius
MSRP was almost 30K. Kia had a $4600 offer on leases and $1500 with 0% if you finance. We financed with Kia and the dealer threw in another $1500. Note that this was a '17 model which was on the lot for a while but there's hardly any change between the years so there might be deals out there on remaining 17s. EX + Advance Tech Package is the better value over Touring.
You just have to haggle. I'm in the middle of negotiations. I found the same 2017 kia niro ex with the touring launch edition trim at 10 dealers emailed them all. I got one from 28000 OTD to 25000 OTD with 12500 on my trade in which is a strong number for my trade in. So I have 3-4 others dealers wanting to beat what offer by 500$ so I'm going to trickle through them til I get the lowest offer. #scamthescammer
I test drove one and found it really slow and jerky off the line. Maybe I was just being too sensitive. How does it feel to drive for you? I haven't owned a hybrid. We have an ICE car and an EV.
Thank you for this review. I am actually looking at possibly leasing the standard hybrid version soon. I have been driving a Kia Optima GDI for the last 3.5 years, and love it. I am really sold on the features that Kia's have compared to more expensive vehicles.
Dude it’s an economy car... How does not having LED fog lights and heated rear seats surprise you? Especially when you can buy a 3 Series right now with incandescent headlights and pretty much no features. The car is nicely equipped for what it’s worth.
how the fuck you charge almost 50k for an economy car? For your information, my 2013 Elantra has front and rear heated seats. So he has every right to demand that.
I saw this car and I believe is a kind of hatchback rather than a SUV. It’ has a particularly low roof but overall I like it. Kia is making a lot of good cars lastly, and the new stinger is an example.
Did you buy a plug in Niro? Did you try an Outlander PHEV, Volt, Fusion, or Clarity? I am not sure what I want, just looking for opinions... thanks... good luck.
Thanks for a great review! This seems to be a good car to replace my TDI Golf that I’m turning back to VW this year. This will be mainly a city driver with occasional use as a getaway car when escaping hurricanes here in south Florida. I have another car for out of town regular trips. With the $4500 tax rebate for plug-in hybrids, this car should be very competitive price-wise for what you get.
I was impressed with the Toyota Prius Prime's bold looks when I first saw it on a Toyota dealership. I'd brought my friend to one for his first car because of their reliability reputation and I saw the prime on display and I was like what the fuck is that?! And I walked around back only to find it was a prius. P.S. he chose Nissan instead 😎
We have a 19 niro hybrid touring , it's a very nice car and about doubles the gas mileage of our last car. By the way this 1,6 engine is not the same as the one in the Rio. The sound doesn't bother me at all because it isn't a cvt. It's for sure an excellent car.
I know you mentioned HID's are a little dated, but having both HID and LED headlights that are OEM, HID offers better light output. Just a little brighter, better light on the road, and doesn't wash out as much when it is raining out.
Is it me or am I the one that saw the right side of the car there’s no chrome door trims until you get to the C-D pillar whereas the left side the chrome trims was throughout?
Ty for another great review man. My only questions remain are regarding staying in EV mode. If you sneeze to hard will it knock it into HV? Just curious how badly you gotta feather it. Also, does the engine kick on after a certain top speed or need to kick in for highway speeds? Cause with a plug-in I would be try not to use gas, period. I got a 23 mile commute. :P
If anyone notices, the left side of the car has the full chrome trine around the windows. The right side is missing the chrome on the two right doors, but has it on the rear quarter window
I have owned a Lx with tech package for almost a year. It is great 50+ mpg average for last 5000miles mixed driving with an average of 200lbs cargo. My friends call it the hero!
my 2017 trailhawk engine sucks thats for sure, its so jerky it drives me nuts and the mpg is sooo low, I should have waited for the 2019, but now will look for a PHEV, so man to choose from now!
So what do you think the title of this channel is? He also takes a look at the performance of the car as well. Being that it has electric motor, he wanted to test to see how it handles.
On my worst winter tank I got barely under 40 MPG with heavy highway driving. Now I average well over 50. You would be getting better figures than that 37-38 now.
If you have a level 2 charger for a chevy volt you can use the same charger for this plug in. I just discovered this tonight. I don't know if the level 2 charger is the same for all plug ins or not.
Kia really has a winner with this Niro platform, tons of features and "normal" design versus other weird hybrid cars. Wish this was priced a bit lower, you do get the $4.5K tax credit for this so that helps a bit.
thatoriordanlad surprise is adding a rear electric motor actually IMPROVES efficiency. You get added traction and power, but also get extra regen braking which is lost to brakes on the rear axle. Both the Rav4 Hybrid and Outlander PHEV do this and they work brilliantly
The Outlander PHEV is nice with the AWD option, but it only get 25MPG. The motor bigger and has more HP, I wish it had more options in it, like cooled seats and heated rear I probably would buy it, but that is a lame reason... lol. I cannot decide which PHEV to get... The prime just seems too small, but it really is not... The Volt looks nice. I want something that drives decent in the winter, any thoughts on that? Thanks..
Not much choice of AWD EV right now. You can try for a used Tesla but buying one is just stupid given their reliability & insane repair costs. The Outlander PHEV is the closest you can get with a plug, but there are TONS coming down the pipe for 2019 - the Jaguar I-Pace, Audi e-tron quattro, Mercedes EQC, Volvo XC40 EV, BMW iX3 and perhaps even left-field options from China such as the Byton M-byte. P.S. I have been living with the Outlander PHEV for 6 months now and 25MPG is kind of stupid unless you run with the heater or AC at full blast and drive at 85mph+ constantly. For most daily commutes I can do almost 95% on electric with the last few miles on EV, making it closer to 100MPG. On a long road trip with no charging, the car averages ~30MPG city and ~26MPG highway if you do ~10mph above speed limits.
Thanks, I just wish it had a few more features like cooled seats and things like that... but this is good info. My daily work commute round trip is 14 miles. I think this would work for me then as well... appreciate it!
PLATINUM agreed, hid is a better light then led, but people just like led because its the newest thing out. In rain and snow hid and even halogen will out perform led.
Not much that can be done about it as LED lights use less energy than any bulb light and it contributes to fuel economy which manufacturers have to improve. I like Xenon better though.
I had a 2001 Acura CL Type S, the low beam were HID's, high beam was halogen. Then I bought a 2004 Acura TL, bi-xenon headlights, incredible light output. After seven years, bought OSRAM nightbreaker HID's for the TL, were even brighter and great output in the rain. I definitely agree, HID's are better then LED. After years, bought an 18 Crosstrek with LED headlights, and the HID's were definitely better. I did put aftermarket LED's on a 2005 Jeep Liberty, and they are very bright and work great, they don't scatter light like early builds of aftermarket LED bulbs. I set them to the correct adjustment, and not one person high beamed me.
Yeah no remote start. Because of special needs I really need a remote. I was impressed with the test drive of the non plug in and so disappointed when I found there wasn’t a remote. Even KIAs entry level Rio has remote and that’s using satellite tech. The dealership couldn’t explain nor could they found out In my opinion the Forte EX offers the most bang for the buck. This will be my third KIA. I also have to say “ this is the first Korean car other than the Hyundai Elantra Sport that you haven’t trashed “.
As I understand it, this Niro PHEV uses coolant within the Internal Combustion Engine to heat the cabin so it would be considered a waste of energy to preheat the car. Some other PHEV vehicles use heat exchangers or electric resistive elements for cabin heating. I'm not sure if the heated seats and steering wheel can be turned on remotely, ala remote start. The Niro also makes it possible to only supply heating/cooling to the driver if travelling alone.
I want to buy a hybrid around 20 to 25 thousand dollars but these three cars in cumming in my list so can you tell me which one is good for daily purpose use
Why is there a chrome trim around the D pillar window, and black plastic all around the other windows. It looks like it was accidented and the doors were replaced from a non chromed version
I also noticed the passenger side is like that, and the drivers side is all chromed. This is why I have an issue with Hyundai/Kia vehicles, I have seen this on a brand new Santa Fe just recently
Why there's no solar cell roofing in any of these vehicles, it wouldn't need so much batteries and would make the emissions even cleaner when used to make hydrogen on demand and load small battery when not driving.
A big one. I currently have 8 car tires in the back of mine(with the seats folded down)! I would not feel safe putting a dog in the back with the seats up tho, it would fit but coulden't be very safe in a accident.
37 mpg? dude u must be GUNNING it constantly...lol I own the 19 PHEV Niro ex ...Im getting well over 120mpe.... here is the key that was NOT discussed...if you MOSTLY drive around town 20-25mi per day....well then your can get near infinite mpe...lol (at one point i had 450 mpe...) my last fill up i got 980 mi/8gal and those miles included 350 mi rt trip from 5k ft elevation to 10kft mountain weekend getaway where the niro is not exactly the car of choice.......inane really... LOVE this car even if it wasnt a phev... oh and yeah... 9500 in tax rebates...5K in colorado...4500 federal... i was able to get 3K off sticker (rare but possible if u are a good negotiator) and 500 from kia finance....out the door (after taxes) this was a 21k car..crazy value... highly recommend buying one
Kia needs to refine their engines and make them a little smoother, perhaps take a note from Honda Engines. Other than that Kia Niro is a good car to buy.
Rather than being the best of both worlds, I would probably choose either the full EV or normal hybrid (MPG barely different) for this one -- leaning towards EV given the engine noise.
I think your not understanding, it can run 28 miles plus the hybrid/ gas range. So, that's around 600 miles out of 10 gallons of gas and 1 full charge. is all in how often you charge it and your commute. if you have a 30 mile commute one way and can charge at work. you are using 4 miles worth of gas. A tank full will last you months.
Marc Spunt Some DCT Transmissions can be a bit jerky under certain shifting conditions Ford has had a significant issue with this from what I have heard. I drove a Hyundai ioniq which has the same transmission and it seemed very smooth both upshift and downshift go take one first spin either the Hyundai ioniq or the Kia Niro are based on the same Powertrain with a different body shape. the base model of the ioniq is the most fuel efficient hybrid you can buy in the US but it's lacking some features.
kens97sto171 thanks. I have had a Tucson which was great a Santa Fe which was not and now a Cherokee which was really bad but they fixed the trans issue so it’s a lot better now. I still want a Volt or Clarity for the longer EV range. Thinking more will come out as well. Thanks I may still drive the ioniq.
Thanks for the great review. Great job on it as always. I bought the Kia Niro Plug In in February 2018. Here is what I like about it. There are many wonderful features like the small lights in the side mirrors that tell you that another car is there and not to change lanes. When reversing it tells you that a car is crossing behind you or even a person. Nice. No backing into traffic or the person that won't stop even though you are backing out. The same going forwards - alarm if car in front slams on their brakes. The visibility in this car is awesome. No blind spots especially with the assistance of the car. Also, I have a hearing disability so the sound system is great for me using the phone - I can hear and turn it up as loud as I need it. The maps are great and driving directions are awesome. Shows you which lane to get in when you have five or 6 lanes and don't know which one you should be in. I am 5' 2" tall and the visor comes down to the perfect height so no glaring sun in my face. Usually they are at a height for a taller person which doesn't work for me when driving towards the sun. Sound system is very nice. It is very comfortable to sit in and drive. I had a Porsche Cayman before and it is nice to be able to step right into the seat. Also, the trunk area at the back has a sliding cover that is easy to use and the height of the trunk is perfect. No more bending down. There are so many great things about this car. I really love it. I initially liked it because of the eco friendly features. I only fill it up every 10 to 12 days or so. It would be even less if I charged it every day. It does get about 105 miles if you charge it and drive with electric and hybrid mode. If you don't charge I get about 44-48 miles per gallon. You can't really see from the video but the interior styling is quite nice with the black and light grey trim and this means it has a little bit of a luxury feel. I think it gives the car more style. I also like it a lot better than the newer Prius as I could not deal with the interior styling which seems so harsh.
"small lights in the side mirrors that tell you that another car is there"
How about looking over your shoulder?
Too difficult?
I own a Kia Niro PHEV. LX trim. So manual seats and no leather, but I was able to get a great driving position and the seats arre comfortable. We have a solar electric system at home, so I purchased a level II charger from Amazon for less than $300 and had a 220 volt socket installed near the vehicle. It charges an empty battery in 2.5 hours. Using our solar power on a sunny day and I''m driving 26 miles for FREE! (well, relatively, anyway.) Saving about $3,500 over the EX trim still gives me Google navigation on the center screen using my Android phone and Android Auto. So navigation for FREE, and it is a better display than the one you show in your review. My overall mpg in hybrid only mode has been tested several times on cloudy days, and I'm getting 45 - 50 mpg. Coupled with the EV mode on trips longer than 26 miles, and I'm getting up to 90 mpg! Of course, that's averaging the electric into the equation. An additional undocumented feature is put the gear lever into Sport mode when the battery is down to zero miles, and in about half an hour of driving, you'll recharge it. So for long trips, recharge the battery, and continue in hybrid mode until an urban area, and switch into EV mode for local driving. Fun car to drive; a lot more comfortable than the Prius's I've rented on trips. No regrets in my purchase.
Mike, good tip about driving in sport mode to charge the battery! Silly question.. will this trick help for the non-plugin models?
What about the sound motor can do? Not as bad as he says in the vídeo? 🤔
Does the 4inch display in the instrument panel show EV/hybrid info? Do you know if the 7inch display in the premium model shows alot more info?
I like Android Auto a lot too & use the WAZE but where you fail to realize is if your phone goes out in a area & it will at times. NO NAV and your screwed. The nav that comes with car will not be a ISSUE! Best to have BOTH!!
Your comment was more insightful than his entire 20 or so minute review.
I bought a Niro PHEV Premium on 2/28/18. We live in Cincinnati but bought it in Indy because the only dealer that had one here offered little in discounting. We ended up getting about $3k off and with the $4500 tax rebate it became a pretty good deal. We got 500 miles and 49 mpg on the first tank with 350 miles being highway. We have driven 270 miles on the 2nd tank and the gas gauge says we still have 451 miles to empty. Our normal driving allows us to go nearly exclusively on electric mode. It is very comfortable, in my opinion looks good and if it snows will stay in the garage so I don't care about all wheel drive. The joys of retirement. So far we couldn't be happier.
Ken Speicher how much was the total msrp of your niro after taxes
Can you update us on how much the car has increased your electric bill?? thanks
Scotty H, I looked at the latest electric bill and it had about 2 weeks for the Niro PHEV and it was no different than past electric bills, and I went back years...some higher some lower but it didn't jump out at me. We pay 6 cents/KWH and the government figures are based on 12 cents. So, we are still on the 2nd tank with 170 miles to empty on the gas gauge after 2 weeks and going 850 miles. I made a 250 mile trip which pulled down the tank. Most of the driving has been around the area and under 26 miles. There are times when we don't have time to get it back to a full charge between trips but I don't think for us we can justify putting in a level 2 charger at home. I believe we will consistently go over 1,000 miles and use around 9 gallons of gas when we fill up. Hope that helps.
Crack Lacker, sorry to be slow in responding but I lost the link and because of your inquiry I took a closer look at the paper work and found a line item for $621 for "Government Certificate of Title Fees" which made no sense to me because that was in addition to the title fee, and sales tax which was under charged by $410 and the ever popular $199 Document Fee. The dealership is still working on getting me the title so I can get plates and also in explaining the $621. So, here are the key numbers before taxes: Sticker: $35,625 which includes shipping; price for vehicle pre-sales tax and other BS was $32,400 which includes $400 military discount. When you factor in the roughly $4,500 EV tax rebate, it makes it a better deal than the straight Hybrid. Note, as far as the paper work mess, they used this fancy electronic desk and we were in a hurry so it was hard to fully understand everything. BUT, we love the car and we'll get it worked out.
September 28, 2018 and I'm the first buyer of the Niro PHEV at Koons Kia of Woodbridge, Va, which surprised me a great deal!! First drive home to Richmond averaged over 48 mpg with zero all electric miles (wasn't charged up prior to purchase) and traveling at speeds from 65 to 75 mph the entire trip of 95 miles. Using the "smart cruise" which is another term for adaptive cruise control, which worked really, really well (much better than in our '18 Honda Accord 2.0 Touring, btw) it was a really pleasant journey, with the excellent premium sound system by Harmon Kardon (315 watts) with a sub in the rear of the cabin. Trading in our 2012 CRV which was a decent all around car for 76,000 mis itself, the difference in the feel of this Niro from the CRV was very very stark. The Niro is MUCH more fun to drive, is more "planted", handles way better, responds to steering input much more swiftly, and is generally better in every measureable metric except interior volume of usable space. But it's not really that much smaller when it comes to usable interior space which speaks to the awesome job Kia has done with the execution of the engineering and design of this car. Yes, it's not exceptionally speedy in acceleration, but then again how can you expect a PHEV to be both very frugal AND very fast in the acceleration department. The balance of spirited performance and practicality in the economy aspect of the NIRO combines to make this vehicle a really satisfying experience, and I've NO regrets whatsoever in my decision to put one in our garage. Using the 120 volt charger that comes w/the Niro works out well, since the 6 to 8 hours for fully charging up the battery is easily accomplished overnight and is simply not inconvenient when doing so. Each day starts with exceptionally quiet and smooth driving pleasure, and if you're not a speed demon the EV mode will not transition to HEV mode for the full 25 or so miles you can expect from the charge. The media sound quality in the premium stereo is very very good overall, adding to the pleasureable experience. Looking forward to a long and happy relationship with the Niro PHEV!! Hopefully, the reliability of the mechanics and electronics will be equally satisfying in the long term. BTW, there's a UA-cam channel by B'jorn Nyland of Norway where he does extensive testing of the limits of the all-electric Niro available in Europe, and easily surpasses the 300 mile marker driving in a normal way, and honestly, if that version of the Niro were available at the time of my purchase in Virginia, it would be in my driveway right now in place of the PHEV!!! Alas, Kia is not selling that version yet in the U.S........hopefully that will change down the road.
When you floored it , i timed the 0-60mph at about 8 seconds. Thats not too bad.
I've owned a 2017 Niro LX for exactly one year now. I bought my Niro purely for the MPG. I average approx 43-44mpg in the winter and approx 46-47mpg last summer. It has nearly 22,000 highway commuting miles. Love this car. No problems at all so far.
I'm thinking about buying one. How would you rate driving in the snow from 1 - 10?
We have a 19 niro hev touring and we love this car. I don't find it noisy or thrashy, I like the way it sounds . It's very comfortable and gets excellent gas mileage especially when its above freezing out. It has a very nice ride and handles very well. We've had it for 18 months now and like it as much now as in June 19.
We bought an EX Non-plugin regular hybrid with the tech+safety package. Kia is offering some big discounts on leftover 2017 model like ours. It is smooth, quiet and the sport mode has surprisingly good pep due to that 195Lb/Ft of torque, Feature laden, spacious and the best part is that it doesn't scream that it is a hybrid with weird quirky styling- Looking at you, Prius
FedoraMcGentlesir how much was it out the door? I'm planning to buy one
MSRP was almost 30K. Kia had a $4600 offer on leases and $1500 with 0% if you finance. We financed with Kia and the dealer threw in another $1500. Note that this was a '17 model which was on the lot for a while but there's hardly any change between the years so there might be deals out there on remaining 17s. EX + Advance Tech Package is the better value over Touring.
When something doesn't sell and they put huge discounts like that make sure you find out why.
You just have to haggle. I'm in the middle of negotiations. I found the same 2017 kia niro ex with the touring launch edition trim at 10 dealers emailed them all. I got one from 28000 OTD to 25000 OTD with 12500 on my trade in which is a strong number for my trade in. So I have 3-4 others dealers wanting to beat what offer by 500$ so I'm going to trickle through them til I get the lowest offer. #scamthescammer
I test drove one and found it really slow and jerky off the line. Maybe I was just being too sensitive. How does it feel to drive for you?
I haven't owned a hybrid. We have an ICE car and an EV.
I just bought the PHEV Niro and LOVE it!
This SUV is very impressive. Faster than a Toyota CHR and better fuel economy
Thank you for this review. I am actually looking at possibly leasing the standard hybrid version soon. I have been driving a Kia Optima GDI for the last 3.5 years, and love it. I am really sold on the features that Kia's have compared to more expensive vehicles.
Dude it’s an economy car... How does not having LED fog lights and heated rear seats surprise you? Especially when you can buy a 3 Series right now with incandescent headlights and pretty much no features. The car is nicely equipped for what it’s worth.
how the fuck you charge almost 50k for an economy car? For your information, my 2013 Elantra has front and rear heated seats. So he has every right to demand that.
I sense aggressiveness between you two
I love roadtrips, this car is perfect!
David Visser that’s exactly what I want to do next year get this car and hit the road for trip
CAN'T WAIT to see the Kona and Niro electric!
Yeah but it won't be in America for a long time. It'll show up in places like Norway first where Ev's are most popular.
Any spike in gas prices and the sales of these hybrids will take off.
Calvin Sanders 6 hours for 26 miles of range.. that sucks I mean at least 75 would be decent
Great point! I work for a KIA Dealership and in the last month our sales have spiked for the Niro
fire killer That’s for Level 1 charging, genius. Level 2 is 2.5 hours, and if it comes with DC fast charging, that should be around 20 minutes.
@@MrNarutokun406 99% of people charge while u are sleeping, or doing other stuff...not staring at the car tapping your foot...lol
I bought this thing last week
Thank you. I've been looking for a review on the niro.
I saw this car and I believe is a kind of hatchback rather than a SUV. It’ has a particularly low roof but overall I like it. Kia is making a lot of good cars lastly, and the new stinger is an example.
I like it a lot the styling the efficiency definetly a smart buy
Very informative. Made my decision to get one way easier now.
Did you buy a plug in Niro? Did you try an Outlander PHEV, Volt, Fusion, or Clarity? I am not sure what I want, just looking for opinions... thanks... good luck.
Thanks for a great review! This seems to be a good car to replace my TDI Golf that I’m turning back to VW this year. This will be mainly a city driver with occasional use as a getaway car when escaping hurricanes here in south Florida. I have another car for out of town regular trips. With the $4500 tax rebate for plug-in hybrids, this car should be very competitive price-wise for what you get.
people aren't buying the current generation prius because it's FUGLY!!!
It gets worse every year lol, 2019 Honda Insight looking to fix that though.
You obviously haven’t driven around SoCal/LA...every other car seems to be the new Prius.
but they are libtards that can't think outside the box so they have to follow the other libtards
I was impressed with the Toyota Prius Prime's bold looks when I first saw it on a Toyota dealership. I'd brought my friend to one for his first car because of their reliability reputation and I saw the prime on display and I was like what the fuck is that?! And I walked around back only to find it was a prius. P.S. he chose Nissan instead 😎
Yup, insight looks way better. Toyota should get new designers
Thank you so much for making this fabulous video!
We have a 19 niro hybrid touring , it's a very nice car and about doubles the gas mileage of our last car. By the way this 1,6 engine is not the same as the one in the Rio. The sound doesn't bother me at all because it isn't a cvt. It's for sure an excellent car.
I know you mentioned HID's are a little dated, but having both HID and LED headlights that are OEM, HID offers better light output. Just a little brighter, better light on the road, and doesn't wash out as much when it is raining out.
I love your reviews been subscribed since 2012
Is it me or am I the one that saw the right side of the car there’s no chrome door trims until you get to the C-D pillar whereas the left side the chrome trims was throughout?
Excellent review very professional delivery.
Such a beautiful car
Ty for another great review man. My only questions remain are regarding staying in EV mode. If you sneeze to hard will it knock it into HV? Just curious how badly you gotta feather it. Also, does the engine kick on after a certain top speed or need to kick in for highway speeds? Cause with a plug-in I would be try not to use gas, period. I got a 23 mile commute. :P
really if you are driving highway miles use it in regular hybrid mode or switch it to EV when you get up to cruising speed.
If anyone notices, the left side of the car has the full chrome trine around the windows. The right side is missing the chrome on the two right doors, but has it on the rear quarter window
It is the black protector tape from when you buy the car. You remove it. Then you will see the chrome.
Good review. I like your fast pace
They should add power lift gate, moon roof and 360 camera to make it competitive for the next generation. The SUV look is a plus.
Great review, very informative. My wife and I personally hate the Prius look and we dont want to spend so much on a Model 3. So this might be perfect.
I have owned a Lx with tech package for almost a year. It is great 50+ mpg average for last 5000miles mixed driving with an average of 200lbs cargo. My friends call it the hero!
I dropped my phone into a bowl of spaghetti when I selected this video :/
I wonder if you plug the charger cable into the 220V rear outlet...
Im impress how you memorize the specs. V Good review.
Now if it had the 1.6l turbo engine, it'll be great. Power to overtake on the open road, quiet and economical in urban areas.
Another great review - I am a fan. I know you are in California - it would be nice to mention in the future what city ?
Hope you can review the 2019 Cherokee with the new 2.0 turbo soon!
I think he'll like it. It is a solid update and the engine's very good.
my 2017 trailhawk engine sucks thats for sure, its so jerky it drives me nuts and the mpg is sooo low, I should have waited for the 2019, but now will look for a PHEV, so man to choose from now!
idk why your driving the car so aggressively, you're missing the whole point of the car...
It's not an M5!
So what do you think the title of this channel is? He also takes a look at the performance of the car as well. Being that it has electric motor, he wanted to test to see how it handles.
Yay your face is back lol. Can tell you're enjoying the car reviews more too.
Devon Gee this was filmed before that happened to his face!
Clyde Mac awe shit
Devon Gee what happened to his face?
On my worst winter tank I got barely under 40 MPG with heavy highway driving. Now I average well over 50. You would be getting better figures than that 37-38 now.
Great Review Of 2018 Kia Niro. 😀
If you have a level 2 charger for a chevy volt you can use the same charger for this plug in. I just discovered this tonight. I don't know if the level 2 charger is the same for all plug ins or not.
katlady5000 they're supposed to be standard. Only Tesla has a different format. So this is perfect if you already own a hybrid plugin like the Volt.
Kia really has a winner with this Niro platform, tons of features and "normal" design versus other weird hybrid cars. Wish this was priced a bit lower, you do get the $4.5K tax credit for this so that helps a bit.
Hey it's $NZ50,000 here in New Zealand, petrol is about $NZ11 a gallon, and electricity about $NZ0.20 a kW/h.
nice review i'm very interested in plug in hybrids
Thank you sharing! This was a GREAT video!!
Slightly different look to the Sportage, but looks so much better at the front.
remember this car in 2017.
How does this plug-in version compare to the hybrid? Is it worth the extra money?
Duck Dodgers yes
Lack of AWD really hurts here. However the Niro Plug-in is a good addition as most folks are likely still on the edge from going full EV mode.
thatoriordanlad surprise is adding a rear electric motor actually IMPROVES efficiency. You get added traction and power, but also get extra regen braking which is lost to brakes on the rear axle. Both the Rav4 Hybrid and Outlander PHEV do this and they work brilliantly
The Outlander PHEV is nice with the AWD option, but it only get 25MPG. The motor bigger and has more HP, I wish it had more options in it, like cooled seats and heated rear I probably would buy it, but that is a lame reason... lol. I cannot decide which PHEV to get... The prime just seems too small, but it really is not... The Volt looks nice. I want something that drives decent in the winter, any thoughts on that? Thanks..
Not much choice of AWD EV right now. You can try for a used Tesla but buying one is just stupid given their reliability & insane repair costs. The Outlander PHEV is the closest you can get with a plug, but there are TONS coming down the pipe for 2019 - the Jaguar I-Pace, Audi e-tron quattro, Mercedes EQC, Volvo XC40 EV, BMW iX3 and perhaps even left-field options from China such as the Byton M-byte.
P.S. I have been living with the Outlander PHEV for 6 months now and 25MPG is kind of stupid unless you run with the heater or AC at full blast and drive at 85mph+ constantly. For most daily commutes I can do almost 95% on electric with the last few miles on EV, making it closer to 100MPG. On a long road trip with no charging, the car averages ~30MPG city and ~26MPG highway if you do ~10mph above speed limits.
Thanks, I just wish it had a few more features like cooled seats and things like that... but this is good info. My daily work commute round trip is 14 miles. I think this would work for me then as well... appreciate it!
How many compact station wagons are awd and where are you taking the Niro that it would be necessary?
How is this in the winter with snow tires?
Will you be doing a review of the Honda Clarity PHEV?
When are you testing the new Camry HYBRID??
Already filmed! It will go live later this month.
Redline Reviews ok thanks!
Accord Hybrid?
Xenon headlights project better in rainy weather. Just research it.
PLATINUM agreed, hid is a better light then led, but people just like led because its the newest thing out. In rain and snow hid and even halogen will out perform led.
Not much that can be done about it as LED lights use less energy than any bulb light and it contributes to fuel economy which manufacturers have to improve. I like Xenon better though.
Good, my Lexus ES330 has xenon. Also my Acura CL 3.2 type s also has xenon.
I had a 2001 Acura CL Type S, the low beam were HID's, high beam was halogen. Then I bought a 2004 Acura TL, bi-xenon headlights, incredible light output. After seven years, bought OSRAM nightbreaker HID's for the TL, were even brighter and great output in the rain. I definitely agree, HID's are better then LED. After years, bought an 18 Crosstrek with LED headlights, and the HID's were definitely better. I did put aftermarket LED's on a 2005 Jeep Liberty, and they are very bright and work great, they don't scatter light like early builds of aftermarket LED bulbs. I set them to the correct adjustment, and not one person high beamed me.
2019 Ford Explorer
Where were you while filming? Looks like somewhere I would love to live.
Looks like some of the neighborhoods around here in Maryland. My guess is somewhere between MD and CT.
If I ever meet you, i'll gift you Ice Cubes. I notice you like those lol
Yeah no remote start. Because of special needs I really need a remote. I was impressed with the test drive of the non plug in and so disappointed when I found there wasn’t a remote. Even KIAs entry level Rio has remote and that’s using satellite tech. The dealership couldn’t explain nor could they found out In my opinion the Forte EX offers the most bang for the buck. This will be my third KIA. I also have to say “ this is the first Korean car other than the Hyundai Elantra Sport that you haven’t trashed “.
Robert Collis He also gave the Kia Stinger a very good review
What is the point of remote start in a hybrid? Sorry, I just do not understand that one.
Climate control my friend.
OK, that makes sense...
As I understand it, this Niro PHEV uses coolant within the Internal Combustion Engine to heat the cabin so it would be considered a waste of energy to preheat the car. Some other PHEV vehicles use heat exchangers or electric resistive elements for cabin heating. I'm not sure if the heated seats and steering wheel can be turned on remotely, ala remote start. The Niro also makes it possible to only supply heating/cooling to the driver if travelling alone.
Hi I have a quick question or can you compare Honda insight Toyota Corolla and Kia Niro please
I want to buy a hybrid around 20 to 25 thousand dollars but these three cars in cumming in my list so can you tell me which one is good for daily purpose use
Niro EV can't come soon enough.
Out in April in just 1 more month!
What’s up with the missing chrome trim around the door/windows on the passenger side?
the chrome is there. Someone forgot to take the black protector tape off the chrome. It is to prevent scratches before delivery.
Great review!! U da best!!
Please do a review on a Volvo S90 inscription
Where have these gas prices remained stable? In California it’s just going up
Please do a review for 2018 porsche boxster gts!!
Why is there a chrome trim around the D pillar window, and black plastic all around the other windows. It looks like it was accidented and the doors were replaced from a non chromed version
I also noticed the passenger side is like that, and the drivers side is all chromed. This is why I have an issue with Hyundai/Kia vehicles, I have seen this on a brand new Santa Fe just recently
Thank so much for this video. It helped me make my purchasing decision.
Please do a review on picanto xline
Please do 2019 rav4 when it's available.
Wow this looks nice!
Kia Niro should add artificial sound to electric mode lik Jaguar hav. Too keep the presence of feel of fuel motors.
Why there's no solar cell roofing in any of these vehicles, it wouldn't need so much batteries and would make the emissions even cleaner when used to make hydrogen on demand and load small battery when not driving.
Regenerative braking, Apple Car Play, Android Auto? Thanks for the video.
I wouldn't by a EV, when the plug in gets such phenomenal milage for long road trips..
Does this car really charge when in sports mode
I think the armrest slides forward...could be wrong.
I love Kia I wating for it in Oman I hope I can afford it
Do you get good regenerative braking on this car
It is decent but nothing crazy. Along hill may gain you 25% charge. It could use a stronger setting, it will slowly build speed going down hills.
I'm liking the video just because he said iPhone 10 and not iPhone X. Thank you!
This outsells the Ioniq as well.
Hope you review the 2018 Honda Clarity plug-in hybrid.
Another Fugly entry. What designers dream up this crap?
Why do all these car videos have music that is 5 times louder than the speaker...
about what size dog could fit in the hatch?
A big one. I currently have 8 car tires in the back of mine(with the seats folded down)! I would not feel safe putting a dog in the back with the seats up tho, it would fit but coulden't be very safe in a accident.
review the new nissan leaf please
The best green system
37 mpg? dude u must be GUNNING it constantly...lol
I own the 19 PHEV Niro ex ...Im getting well over 120mpe....
here is the key that was NOT discussed...if you MOSTLY drive around town 20-25mi per day....well then your can get near infinite mpe...lol (at one point i had 450 mpe...)
my last fill up i got 980 mi/8gal and those miles included 350 mi rt trip from 5k ft elevation to 10kft mountain weekend getaway where the niro is not exactly the car of choice.......inane really...
LOVE this car even if it wasnt a phev...
oh and yeah...
9500 in tax rebates...5K in colorado...4500 federal...
i was able to get 3K off sticker (rare but possible if u are a good negotiator) and 500 from kia finance....out the door (after taxes) this was a 21k car..crazy value...
highly recommend buying one
Does anyone know the name of that intro song though?
0:35 The music reminds me of Lindsey Stirling's dubstep violin...
Kia needs to refine their engines and make them a little smoother, perhaps take a note from Honda Engines. Other than that Kia Niro is a good car to buy.
I love your videos! (first comment)
Rather than being the best of both worlds, I would probably choose either the full EV or normal hybrid (MPG barely different) for this one -- leaning towards EV given the engine noise.
9:28 "It's really easy to get in and out of, you know."
Lol my mom has a Kia niro, and whenever I’m getting out or in the backseat, it’s a bit tricky.
Is this THE Niro?
You said 0-60 in 10 sec? I counted about 8
I didn’t know it was only 26 mile range for a full charge. I thought it would be at least 100
Its 28 miles on EV mode only ,than switch to Hybrid and it recharges as driving like a normal Hybrid
im surprised its only 28. its a good amount if you run out of gas, but i thought hybrid models had more range for electric
I think your not understanding, it can run 28 miles plus the hybrid/ gas range. So, that's around 600 miles out of 10 gallons of gas and 1 full charge. is all in how often you charge it and your commute. if you have a 30 mile commute one way and can charge at work. you are using 4 miles worth of gas. A tank full will last you months.
no i get it. the gas can take you 500 miles or whatever he said and then electric is only 28 miles
dual clutch??? whats that about
Mark McLea
It's about efficiency without the abnormal elastic band feeling of a CVT. Torque converters in regular automatics waste energy.
but is it smooth at shifting gears? Will it jerk you around a lot? The Niro seemed to be very jerky.....
Marc Spunt
Some DCT Transmissions can be a bit jerky under certain shifting conditions Ford has had a significant issue with this from what I have heard. I drove a Hyundai ioniq which has the same transmission and it seemed very smooth both upshift and downshift go take one first spin either the Hyundai ioniq or the Kia Niro are based on the same Powertrain with a different body shape. the base model of the ioniq is the most fuel efficient hybrid you can buy in the US but it's lacking some features.
kens97sto171 thanks. I have had a Tucson which was great a Santa Fe which was not and now a Cherokee which was really bad but they fixed the trans issue so it’s a lot better now. I still want a Volt or Clarity for the longer EV range. Thinking more will come out as well. Thanks I may still drive the ioniq.
Not 17 inch, But 16.
kwakjy kwak Came here to say this. Also, no 18 inch option on phev version.
IMHO The intro music is somewhat way too hyped for a kia EV....
This car available in INDIA